Menu

Category Archives: Pies

My son came home to visit for the weekend and before he went back up to school late this afternoon we hosted a Sunday morning brunch at our home. I baked some quiches, made my “famous” biscuits and gravy, served eggs cooked to order, set out a big bowl of fresh picked strawberries and a dished up a variety of fresh salads. We even had fresh squeezed orange juice and mimosas. Delish!

Quiches are one of my favorite dishes to make. First of all, they are very versatile because you can put so some many different types of ingredients in them. Second, they are super easy to make. And three, you can get away with serving quiche for any meal of the day.

I work full time during the week and have been known to make quiche on the weekend just to have slices available for my breakfast or lunch while I am at the office. I simply warm it up in the microwave in the break room for a few seconds, grab a fork and my meal is done. Simple, no muss, no fuss. And, I am back to work at my desk in no time at all.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin by rolling out the pie crust and placing it in a 9″ pie pan or 10″ tart pan. I used a tart pan. Heat a saute pan on the stove, add the canola oil, asparagus, leeks and salt. Saute for a few minutes until asparagus are tender. Don’t over cook. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, half and half, white pepper, salt and nutmeg. Add asparagus, leeks and Havarti cheese. Mix well and pour into pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down heat and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into wedges. Makes 1 quiche.

I don’t know where the time has gone… It’s been over a week since my last post and that’s not like me. Well, I have been under a rock lately, and it was about time that I got back in my kitchen. It’s been a week of frozen meals and takeout dinners and I am sick of it. I am seriously done with that.

I am happy to be back and in celebration of being back in my kitchen I cooked up this yummy treat. It’s a Chicken Pot Pie with Blue Cheese and Havarti. It’s a twist on a traditional chicken pot pie that is stuffed with tender chicken, sautéed carrots, onions and celery with a creamy blue cheese bechamel and buttery havarti cheese. I even made the pie crust from scratch. It’s good, it’s homey, it’s rich and it’s delish! Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups cooked chicken (cubed)

1 1/2 cups celery (chopped)

1 1/2 cups onion (chopped)

1 1/2 cups carrots (chopped)

1 Tbls. butter

3 cups blue cheese bechamel sauce (see recipe below)

6 ounces havarti cheese (shredded)

1 egg (beaten with a bit of water)

pie dough for 2 pie crusts (see recipe below)

Begin by cubing up your cooked chicken and set aside. Buy one of those precooked chickens from the deli or store if you don’t have time to cook your own. Chop up your vegetables and set aside. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grab 6 oval shaped casseroles and spray with non stick spray.

In a saute pan add your butter, celery, onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are opaque and the carrots are barely tender. Remove from heat. Add your cooked chicken and cooked vegetables to the oval casserole dishes. Add 1/2 cup of the blue cheese bechamel to each casserole. Add your havarti cheese.

Divide your 2 pie crusts into 6 pieces. Roll out on a floured board, pie crusts large enough to cover each casserole. Use a fork and crimp down the sides. Put slits in the top of each pie. Brush with beaten egg, place on foil lined baking sheet and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown. Keep an eye on them and rotate halfway through the baking process. Lightly cover with foil if it is browning too fast. Pull from oven, let cool for about 5 minutes and then dig in! Makes 6 individual casseroles.

Blue Cheese Bechamel

Grab a medium sized sauce pan or saucier. On medium low heat whisk together 6 Tablespoons of butter and 5 Tablespoons flour. Cook until it is nearly golden in color. Add 3 cups milk, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme and 2 ounces blue cheese. Oh, and add a splash of dry vermouth. Cook slowly, constantly whisking until it has thickened. Taste it, you may not need to add salt because of the blue cheese. Do not over cook. Remove from heat.

Easy Pie Crust (2 crust pie)

Grab a food processor. Add two cups all purpose flour, 3/4 cup shortening and 1/2 tsp salt. Pulse until lightly mixed. Add 5 – 6 Tablespoons ICE COLD water, one tablespoon at a time. Lightly pulse until the dough sticks together and forms a ball. You are done. Remove from the food processor and wrap in plastic wrap. Put pie dough in your refrigerator for about a half an hour before rolling. Makes 2 pie crusts or 6 little crusts for the casseroles.